Wanted: Headgasket repair on 08 Uplander. Summertown TN

burn_your_money

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Location
Missouri
TDI
99 Beetle, 96 B4V, 05 Passat wagon
Bit of a long shot but I'm looking for quotes to get my headgaskets replaced on my 08 Uplander. The van is at a friend's place in Summertown TN (and I'm in Ontario). There is a garage you could work in with a concrete floor but there are no tools or air. I'd also need the rad replaced. I don't know if the heads need to be decked or not, all I've done is diagnose it. If you are close enough and want to tow it to your place I'm fine with that.
PM is best
 

burn_your_money

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Location
Missouri
TDI
99 Beetle, 96 B4V, 05 Passat wagon
Alternatively, if you want to buy it and flip it we can work something out. I have a clean title and pictures.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
We do stuff like that here, but you'd need to get the van to our shop. We don't make house calls.

Honestly it is not a huge deal, any competent shop should be able to do headgaskets on the old 60 degree GM V6. Common engine, and while headgaskets are somewhat common, the intake gaskets are VERY common, and if you can do that you are better than halfway to getting the heads off.

Not sure what a 10 year old Uplander is worth, though. Unless the owner was going to put it back into service and keep it, it may not be worth the trouble.
 

burn_your_money

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Location
Missouri
TDI
99 Beetle, 96 B4V, 05 Passat wagon
I've called around to some of the shops where the van is and all the quotes I got were over $2000. I have a 05 up here (3.5l instead of the 3.9l) and did the intake gaskets and it wasn't anywhere near a $2000 job. Obviously you need to go a bit further for the head gaskets but at that point you have everything off that you need to except the exhaust.

I figure fixed the van is worth $3000-$4000 and I think parts are under $500 for the rad and head gasket kit from Rock Auto.

I'm just looking for options. Worst case is I take some time off work and come down and fix it up myself.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
LOL, well you are after something really cheap then.

Book time is 11 hours. That is just the labor to R&R the heads. No machine shop, no head check out, no nothing.

So labor alone at our shop would be $1300, with machine shop fees and parts, it would easily be over $2k.
 

burn_your_money

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Location
Missouri
TDI
99 Beetle, 96 B4V, 05 Passat wagon
I'm looking for a mechanic who wants to make somewhere around $40-$50 an hour on the side which should put the repair around $1000 assuming the heads are flat. I think that's quite a bit more than they'd be making an hour at their regular job, but I'm not overly familiar with the job market in TN.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Caveat emptor at those prices in-the-middle-of-nowhere Tennessee.

I'm sure you'll find some local shade-tree to replace the gaskets at that price, but with no receipt or guarantees.

Here's hoping it makes it back to the border...
 

burn_your_money

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Location
Missouri
TDI
99 Beetle, 96 B4V, 05 Passat wagon
That's what I'm looking for. Preferably someone with some references which is why I'm looking on the forum instead of Craigslist.

I'm selling it once it's fixed.
 
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